Half a day later.
On the vast ocean, a giant pirate ship sails across the sea, and the pursuing warships behind it have long been shaken off.
On the giant pirate ship, inside the cabin.
Kouzuki Toki sits opposite Roy, drinking tea. Her samurai sword hangs on the wooden wall beside her. Roy had taken the sword back when he left the Rommel Kingdom.
"Oh~ Are you going to Wano Country, sister?" Roy pretends to be surprised as he looks at her. After a year of acting practice with the nun, his expression doesn't raise any suspicion from Kouzuki Toki.
"Yes, is that going to be a problem for you?" Kouzuki Toki looks at Roy with concern.
She had heard her parents say since childhood that it was very difficult to enter Wano Country and feared they wouldn't let her go there.
"Sister, why are you being so polite? We're friends, aren't we?" Roy smiles at her with a genuine expression.
"Thank you so much then, I..."
"You don't treat me as a friend, sister? Being so polite really hurts."
"That's not what I meant!"
Kouzuki Toki quickly waves her hands in panic and laughs helplessly. Roy's expression of disappointment and sadness makes her flustered.
What a warm and cute kid~
So he considers me a friend?
Kouzuki Toki feels a warmth in her heart. This is the first time, in this strange period and vast sea, that she has met someone who is genuinely willing to help her and be her friend, not because of her beauty.
At this moment, Kouzuki Toki's wariness toward Roy melts away significantly.
"Since sister and I are friends, let's go to Wano Country together. I'm also curious about what it's like there." Roy smiles as he says. What's the big deal with Kouzuki Toki going to Wano Country? What's he afraid of? In this time, Oden is not even liquid yet—hilarious.
Trash that relies on despicable and sneaky ways to gain girls (Peach: ???), real exceptional men have the confidence to attract girls and turn them into their women.
(Just like the readers here, exceptional, handsome, and confident~!)
"Alright, going to Wano Country has been my dream since childhood. I'm really curious about what it's like there, hehe." Kouzuki Toki clenches her little fist and raises it in front of her chest, smiling with anticipation.
"Huh? Aren't you from Wano Country?" Roy asks, pretending to be surprised again.
Although it's shameless to act this way, it's really effective~
"Yeah, are you talking about my clothes?" Kouzuki Toki tugs at her pink sleeve, blinking up at Roy.
"Hmm, this style of clothing is pretty rare overseas." Roy nods.
But in his eyes, Kouzuki Toki's clothes seem a bit odd.
Do formal kimonos have short skirts?
The kimonos Roy knows are quite alluring and beautiful when worn by girls, really praised~
But formal kimonos don't seem to have skirts this short, right?
Or did he touch a knowledge blind spot?
"We live overseas, but my parents are from Wano Country, so it's common for me to wear such clothes," Kouzuki Toki explains with a smile.
"I see, your clothes really are beautiful."
"Thanks for the compliment."
"Sister, you're acting distant again."
"No, no!"
Kouzuki Toki quickly waves her hand helplessly, and when she sees Roy smiling at her, she can't help but laugh lightly. He's teasing her.
Time slowly passes, and the relationship between the two improves bit by bit, aided by Roy's "verbal skills" and their playful interactions.
In fact, between a man and a woman, unless both are really into each other from the start, it's difficult to lower their guard and form a close bond quickly after just meeting.
But Roy here?
He's making a U-turn at the curve~
Using his identity, he makes it easier for Kouzuki Toki to drop her guard and accept him as a friend.
Of course, Roy doesn't follow Peach's example, using a child's identity to get all clingy~
That's too costly, the disadvantages are huge.
If he did follow Peach's method, it wouldn't be impossible, but!
The downsides are too big!
It's bad for his reputation!
Moreover, the more actively one pursues and confesses in a relationship, the fewer retreat options one has when things turn difficult~
The one who attracts the other into initiating the relationship, when the battlefield arises, the chances of making the girl feel guilty and lowering the likelihood of the male lead being hurt increase. A little effort could help resolve the crisis~
And, to be specific, once Roy officially starts courting Kouzuki Toki, her affection for him will definitely decrease!
Kouzuki Toki: "You want to mess with me? I'll stab you!"
So, Roy has to make sure not to do anything that would land him in a disadvantageous position.
Active love always turns into passive love in a fight!
Night falls, the stars twinkle, embellishing the night sky.
The faint moonlight shines down, and the dark sea reflects the cold light.
At this moment, Kouzuki Toki and Roy sit inside a cabin more suited to their size.
On the table are plates of delicious food, and Pandora shines like a little sun, illuminating the whole room.
"Riding Master and the others are so huge, even their sleeping cabins are ridiculously large compared to ours."
"So they built me a regular-sized cabin on the ship."
Roy places a dish on the table and tells Kouzuki Toki.
"I see, living on a giant's ship is really an interesting experience." Kouzuki Toki smiles.
"For these few days, you can stay with me. When we reach the next island, they'll gather some wood to build you a cabin like mine." Roy moves a pot of porridge and places it on the side.
"Alright."
Kouzuki Toki smiles as she picks up a spoon and a bowl, serving Roy some porridge.
As for why Roy only eats with Kouzuki Toki tonight and not with the giants...
Logically: Their sizes are similar, so eating together feels normal.
According to the plan: Roy's doing it on purpose~
Confessing should be avoided when possible, but if he needs to pursue, he can't be too naïve—there should always be some tricks~
Before making dinner, Roy had already moved his chair next to Kouzuki Toki.
They sit close together, enjoying a delicious dinner made by Roy.
"Roy's cooking is really impressive," Kouzuki Toki says, surprised.
"Some I learned from my grandfather, some from the nun," Roy explains with a smile.
So he attributes most of his cooking skills to his adventure-seeking grandfather from 800 years ago.
"Oh? Does Roy have family?" Kouzuki Toki asks, surprised.
"I used to," Roy answers in three words, and instantly, his acting skills kick in. He tightens his grip on the utensils, lowers his head with a lost and sad expression.
Even Pandora, at this moment, feels a bit sorry for him.
Now that Roy is being teased, Pandora is mentally thinking: "The nun who spoiled him the most has 'left' him. Well, he's a bit pitiful, so let him play."
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to," Kouzuki Toki immediately understands and looks at him with some sympathy, feeling guilty for bringing up his painful memories.
Cunning boy Roy, tricking Kouzuki Toki~
[•———•——•———•]
𝙥𝗮𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙤𝙣(.)𝙘𝙤𝙢/𝙂𝙤𝙙𝙊𝙛𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧
✨ • 𝗘𝘅𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀: 𝙂𝙚𝙩 𝟲𝟬+ 𝙖𝙙𝙫𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙙 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙖𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙤𝙛 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙚𝙡𝙨𝙚.